NCSU PDIC

Cicada killers ( speciosus) are emerging in NC - please don't confuse them for Asian giant hornets (AKA "murder hornets") which are not in NC. These wasps are harmless if left alone. Here are some helpful resources: http://ncsupdicblog.blogspot.com/2015/08/are-asian-or-japanese-giant-hornets-in.html & https://ces.ncsu.edu/2020/05/a-visual-guide-to-asian-giant-hornets-and-similar-insects/

Not good news: Asian longhorn beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) found in SC. Be on the lookout for this pest in NC, but also know the lookalikes (guide links in the comments) so innocent insects are not killed.

Inspectors survey Low Country trees after invasive beetle discovered An invasive species of beetle, the Asian longhorned beetle, has been discovered for the first time in South Carolina. Teams of inspectors from Clemson's Department of Plant Industry and the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service are surveying the area surrounding Hollywood, S.C., in Charles...

I know everyone out there is a bit concerned about so-called "murder hornets". Please see the following news item published today (including a link to our old blog post on these wasps) regarding Asian giant hornets (Vespa mandarinia). The short answer is that they are *NOT* in NC and likely will not be in the near future. We'll keep you updated.

Asian Giant Hornets in Washington State The news media are reporting that the Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) has been found in Washington state. This hornet lives up to its name because the queens are more than 2″ long while the workers are about 1 1⁄2″ long. The “murder hornet” nickname given by the media really refers t...

UPDATE: We will now be closing the clinic for the next two weeks. Please visit this link where we will post updates when they happen: https://plantpathology.ces.ncsu.edu/2020/03/modified-plant-disease-and-insect-clinic-operations/

Modified Plant Disease and Insect Clinic Operations To keep safe but productive during the COVID-19 outbreak, we here at the NC State Plant Disease and Insect Clinic are modifying our operating procedures as follows: We will not be receiving people at the door for at least the next two weeks. The interior main door to the clinic (1229A) will remain c...

Due to possible tropical storm conditions, the PDIC will close on Thursday, September 5, 2019 at noon. Re-opening will be dependent on future weather developments but is expected by noon on Friday, September 6, 2019. Please call 919-515-3619 to confirm our status.

Please stay safe everyone!

Just published: Plant Disease Lesson on Petal Blight of Camellia. This link will come in handy next spring!

Petal Blight of Camellia APS Education Center: Petal blight is caused by the ascomycete fungus Ciborinia camelliae....​McCorkle, K.L., Koehler, A.M., Larkin, M., Mendoza-Moran, A., and Shew, H.D. 2019. Petal Blight of Camellia. DOI:10.1094/PHI-I-2019-0702​-01 DISEASE:  Petal Blight of Camellia PATHOGEN: Ciborinia ca...

Lace bugs (Tingidae) are super pretty but pretty bad pests sometimes. This one (Corythucha arcuata) is rarely considered a pest because it feeds on oaks - mature oaks can handle the damage and have leaves high enough most people don't notice the bugs! They also have vase-like eggs (I may add a photo later on)

POP QUIZ!!!! How many baby bagworms did we find on this arborvitae branch?

[Note: the bagworms were removed in this photo]

Answer (second photo): 35! Those who commented went a bit low and a little high.

Note that at this time of year is the best time to treat as the younger bagworms are more susceptible to pesticides than the older one. Check around trees and bushes that had them last year for the most active populations.

A lot to unpack here! NC extension agent Tom Glasgow (Craven Co. NC) took this photo showing swamp chestnut oak (Quercus michauxii) with wool sower gall (Cynipidae: Callirhytis seminator), with a paper wasp (Polistes) infected with cordyceps-type fungus, and a cobweb spider (Theridiidae) with egg sac nesting in the dead wasp. Very cool photo!

REMINDER: Kissing bugs are NOT AN ISSUE in NC or much of the U.S.!!!! I seem to have to debunk this every year. Please read my blog post on them for accurate information: http://ncsupdicblog.blogspot.com/2015/11/kissing-bugs-and-chagas-disease-in-nc.html

Kissing Bugs and Chagas Disease in NC

Did you know it's not just beetles that are wood borers? This xiphydriid wood wasp (Hymenoptera: Xiphydriidae: Xiphydria) emerged from ash (Fraxinus) killed by emerald ash borer (EAB). Their larvae are grub-like and bore into the wood of dead or dying hardwoods. Thanks to Christine Nalepa at NCDA&CS for bringing by this specimen as part of our rearing efforts!

Where do rose bud mites hide out?

Study sheds light on major disease in roses BELTSVILLE, Md. -- Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Beltsville, Maryland and their colleagues have discovered why a mite is causing extensive damages to the...